Up to the coronavirus challenge

NH businesses, organizations do their part to support the community

Broadcast fundraiser nets over $1.8 million for Food Bank

WMUR-TV and iHeartRadio teamed up in April to produce an hour-long, on-air and online program, “Project Community: NH Together From Home,” to benefit the New Hampshire Food Bank. Featuring local talent and national celebrities with ties to the Granite State, nearly $500,000 in donations was raised during the broadcast.

Additional donations came in over the days that followed from the Lois Roy Dickerman Fund and the Thomas W. Haas Fund, each with a $100,000 match for new contributions. Another notable donation was a $240,000 grant made by the Ann Theodore Foundation. Ultimately, the total raised was more than $1.8 million, an amount that will provide the equivalent of more than 3.6 million meals to Granite Staters in need amid the Covid-19 crisis.

The show was hosted live by WMUR anchors Sean McDonald and Erin Fehlau and iHeartRadio’s Greg Kretschmar from “The Morning Buzz.” Among the New Hampshire celebrities taking part were comedians Adam Sandler and Seth Meyers, “Dancing with the Stars” host Tom Bergeron, professional athletes Mikaela Shiffrin and Matt Bonner, filmmaker Ken Burns and musical performances by Jordan Tirrelll-Wysocki and Alex Preston.

Tufts Health Plan Foundation donates to 7 NH nonprofits

The Tufts Health Plan Foundation has distributed a third wave of funding for nonprofit organizations in New Hampshire, part of a $1 million commitment to support community efforts addressing coronavirus in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Connecticut. Seven New Hampshire nonprofits have received a total of $145,000 from the foundation.

The funding is designed to bolster collaborative regional responses, particularly in communities reporting the highest rates of Covid-19 infection.

Receiving grants in New Hampshire were: Granite United Way, Covid-19 Relief Fund, $15,000; Monadnock United Way, Covid-19 Relief Fund, $15,000; New Hampshire Public Health Association, $10,000; New Hampshire Food Bank, $50,000; Tri-County Community Action Program, $25,000; United Way of Greater Nashua, Covid-19 Emergent Needs Fund, $15,000; and United Way of the Greater Seacoast, Covid-19 Family Fund, $15,000.

Newburyport Bank Foundation donates $5k to Families First

The Newburyport Bank Charitable Foundation has donated $5,000 to Families First Health and Support Center of Portsmouth in support of Covid-19 relief efforts.

Families First is part of Greater Seacoast Community Health, a network of community health centers providing an extensive offering of healthcare options. Its focus is to provide the finest services to all, and do so regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

NH Humanities awards 64 CARES Act grants to cultural organizations

As one of 56 affiliates of the National Endowment for the Humanities, New Hampshire Humanities has been charged with distributing $400,000 in supplemental funding to New Hampshire-based humanities, cultural nonprofits and public libraries. The grants range in size from $2,500 to $10,000.

“While we anticipated a high level of demand, the depth and breadth of financial need is overwhelming,” said Anthony Poore, executive director of New Hampshire Humanities.

The organization awarded 64 CARES Act General Operating Support Grants, he said. Of the $400,000 distributed by NHH, libraries received 41% of the funding; historical societies, 27%; cultural nonprofits, 20%; and the state’s museums, 13%. Participation came from all 10 counties.

Bar Harbor sets up fund to support nonprofits

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust has established a dedicated fund to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations helping the residents of Central New Hampshire and the Upper Valley who have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The goal of the fund is to help area residents address immediate, basic needs such as the provision of food.

Nonprofits that are working to provide services to meet the basic needs of residents should contact Jack Frost, director of community giving at the bank, at 207- 667-7100 ext. 10986 or jfrost@barharbor.bank.

VW of Rochester to aid restaurants

Volkswagen of Rochester has launched a new program to encourage car buyers to order out.

The program, Volkswagen of Rochester’s Restaurant Receipt Rebates, allows customers to deduct their local restaurant receipt totals from the purchase of a vehicle. Through June 30, customers can bring any restaurant receipts to Volkswagen of Rochester and subtract the total value off the purchase price of their next vehicle, up to an additional $500 off.

“Everyone has a friend, neighbor or family member who works in the restaurant community,” stated Jordan Wissler. “It’s an industry that has been hit hard. So we’re doing our part to reward spending at local restaurants, and lending a hand to the people who make up such an important industry.”

Bangor Savings Foundation aids Manchester education pilot

The Bangor Savings Bank Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant for the Virtual Inclusion Support and Technology Assistance program, a pilot initiative in Manchester, using a multi-pronged approach to help students and their families climb out of intergenerational poverty.

An initiative of the National Collaborative for Digital Equity, the pilot program is designed to augment the Manchester School District’s tech support system, provide new laptop and home broadband to participating students who need it and provide online learning resources for digital literacy, coding/computer science, cyber-safety, career exploration, and test preparation for living wage, in-demand careers, among other goals.